The mission of HomeWaters Club is to create and preserve fly fishing sanctuaries for the enjoyment of anglers and protection of trout by maintaining a supportive membership base, building a spirit of camaraderie among members and staff, creating lifelong learning opportunities for our families, working with private landowners, giving back to local communities and engaging future generations to uphold these values.

what a crock....

Should be our goal is to privatize as much water as possible from the general public.

here, I'll sum it up for youwelcome to the home waters club, give us all your money, you can fish for easy stocked trout and feel like your an expert. you will never have to brush elbows with the great unwashed public.we will cater to your every need, because frankly, you really can't do anything by yourself anyways.

I met one of their guides a couple of times on a nearby stream that I fish quite a bit. Very nice older gentlemen. I asked him about his job as a guide for them. He can't even fish the water he guides on! He told that maybe 2 guys out of 100 that belong to the club can really flyfish. He babysits them. He does everything for the client except wipe his........... LOL! That club is a joke and their mission statement is a joke. Rich guys who want to be flyfishermen.They catch giant pelletheads and think they are great flyfisherman. I'd love to get one of them on BFC and see how great they are! LOL.

Posted on: 2011/1/5 20:43

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"Even the thousandth trip to the same familiar stream begins with renewed hope and unfailing faith." ZANE GREY

I don't think you'd need a tough stream like BFC to make those dolts look bad. Any old ATW is probably more than they could handle on their own...

BTW, not letting YOUR OWN GUIDES fish YOUR OWN WATER has to be one of the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Granted the fish are dumb pellet heads, but still, you'd think you'd want your people to know everything there is to know about your own water.

I have to tell you, it seems really strange that everyone seems to know these wealthy folks are somehow unskilled as fly anglers. What do you think accounts for that belief? Have any of you fished with any members? Aren't their some well-reknown fly anglers that fish on private waters? Just looking for an explanation if anyone has one.

Posted on: 2011/1/6 10:52

_________________Some people will never learn anything, for this reason, because they understand everything too soon.

Well I'm sure with Lefty, Joe Humphreys, and some other well knowns, they do have some people who can.I'm willing to bet that some of them even believe the rhetoric and bs like that "mission statement" posted above.

The thing that gets me is that if they know much about ff'ing, they would have to see through the bs. That makes me come to one conclusion: They don't care! The rich dude that gets babysat (?) by a "guide" is not what keeps this club going and dangerous. It's the "credible, conservation-minded" members, that serve as ambassadors for this club and lure all the wealthy wannabe's in, that make it a problem.

Why do people go to fancy bars where bottled beer is $3.50 and straight liquor and mixed drinks $6.00 and up when they can go to the fireman's club and be drunk for a ten-spot? Should we presume they are not as good drinker's? Some people like the fact that they are fishing where the unwashed masses cannot. Some like to have guide so they don't have to get slime on their hands. Some like the brie and bordeaux luncheon streamside. Still others can't catch wild fish over 16" with regularity, so they settle for stocked ones. Doesn't make them bad fisherman, just probably means they are Republicans.

Posted on: 2011/1/6 14:42

_________________Some people will never learn anything, for this reason, because they understand everything too soon.

Jack, I've been able to talk with a few of DB's guides several different times, (even though it usually involves them yelling at me, but sometimes it is civil). One guide said that over a one month period he had to take out 10 different sports, and only 1 knew what they were doing. If these people were better flyfishers they would go somewhere else and fish, probably somewhere else that also costs several thousand dollars. DB isn't the only guy with lots of private water.

Posted on: 2011/1/6 15:30

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And as far as I'm concerned, it's like I say, drugs are not the problem. Other stuff is the problem. Jerry Garcia

Jack, I've been able to talk with a few of DB's guides several different times, (even though it usually involves them yelling at me, but sometimes it is civil). One guide said that over a one month period he had to take out 10 different sports, and only 1 knew what they were doing. If these people were better flyfishers they would go somewhere else and fish, probably somewhere else that also costs several thousand dollars. DB isn't the only guy with lots of private water.

Your right in concept but for the wrong reason.

I have had about 4 chances to fish Homewater/Spring Ridge or what ever they call themselves today streams. 2 of which I have took the offer on. What I have found is that those streams are NO better than the ones we get to fish for free with loads of public access. 1 of the streams had no pellet head stockers put in and had plenty of wild fish. The other was not the same and had loads of large stocked fish with a mix of wild fish. I can fish over large pellet heads with some wild trout in plenty of places in PA for free. I can fish in about 10,000 miles of wild trout water for free in PA.

Frankly what I discovered about Spring Ridge water I have fished is that it is far inferior to PA's best wild trout streams by a large margin. A LARGE MARGIN.

So your right, if the members of Homewaters were better flyfishers they would go else where and fish, but they would know they dont need to spend several thousand to do so.

My take with the whole thing is call it what it is. They aren't protecting anything and a really not adding to the sport of fly fishing or fishing in general. Are there morons who trout fish? Most certainly, I have no issue with a land owner posting his land to keep them out. But when you go on a crusade to gobble up access to exclusivity of your members especially steelhead streams where a portion of my license has paid for the fish, I have a serious problem.

I can understand anger toward the concept of private fishing clubs, but just having some trouble wrapping my mind around the bashing of the clients as somehow sub-par sportsman in either skill or concern for the resource. Neither of those conclusions are warranted, but they are commonly made and likely erroneous.

Posted on: 2011/1/7 11:53

_________________Some people will never learn anything, for this reason, because they understand everything too soon.

I can understand anger toward the concept of private fishing clubs, but just having some trouble wrapping my mind around the bashing of the clients as somehow sub-par sportsman in either skill or concern for the resource. Neither of those conclusions are warranted, but they are commonly made and likely erroneous.

Jack,

We have disagreed over the years, sometimes slightly and sometimes very strongly. This is one of those "very strongly times." This may be long but it explains my point well, read it if you like.

I do not think that people have a ton of hate towards private fishing clubs in general. Maybe I am wrong on this but I do not think I am. I can see the value of some private fishing clubs. A good example is the Upper Tully watershed. There are 3 private fishing clubs and 1 opens their water to the public (they are a rod and gun club).

The 2 that are completely private are fairly cheap to join. One I believe is 100 dollars and the other is 20 dollars. Both have a long waiting list. That is where the similarities stop.

The 100 dollar club has about 2 miles (as the stream goes not the crow flies) of prime wild trout water. While I wish the section was open to the public as it is probably the best wild trout stream in SEPA, I am glad they are there for now. The Tully Club(the 100 dollar club) restored their section of stream and it looks absolutely wonderful and it is a rare limestone spring. The section I have access too is directly below their property and it is loaded with fish. The landowners child is cropping the population of browns and bows off so anything under 10 is still there. In years past, a 15 inch fish was common and some brute fish were in that stream. As it works now, all those bigger fish are gone but some wonder in from upstream and you can catch them. If that club was not there, all the large fish would be gone by now. I can tell you that they have some really really big fish in that club and a good amount of them. I am not the only one from this board that knows this and has talked with the child. Hopefully one day he will change his ways. So they restored the stream, keep the fish population in great numbers and are stewards of the stream. All good, only thing bad is you cant fish it.

The 20 dollar club (Susquehannock Fly Fishers) has a great landowner. He does truly care about the stream. He has worked on his stream and the section he owns is fairly small. He stocks it with fish, yes but the wild fish population is very very small. Probably class D. He feeds the fish, yes. So there are plenty of large fish in his section of stream. Directly below his section is limestone springs fish hatchery and Riley Road. Some of the members years ago fished here when the hatchery lost a great amount of fish from that 300 yr rain event. Every once in awhile one of his very large fish wonder into that section and the public has the opportunity to catch it. Elmer (the landowner) and I both talked to Frank V (Doc Fitch TU Pres) with in a matter of days about the sinkhole problem in the Pennsy Supply area of the stream. Also Elmer teaches kids how to cast fly rods and fish in the Tully Club water and his own club water.

Both these clubs care for the stream and do care about the future of fly fishing. They have small parcels of stream on the same stream. The amount of public fishing on the Upper Tully is about 95 percent the total stream mileage as opposed the the 5 percent posted and owned by fishing clubs.

The 3rd club (the rod and gun club stocks their section in the early spring full of large fish and 15-16 inch bows. Anyone is allowed to fish their on their property and their dime. I think this is not the norm for a club and is absolutely wonderful.

The difference between these clubs and the SRC is staggering.

The little guy can afford the other clubs. The SRC (using this for Homewaters) not so.

The SRC takes some of the best wild trout streams in the state and stocks them with Apex predators. Hurting the fish populations of those streams. Down or upstream areas open the public are affected.

The SRC also buys large parcels (not small) of multiple streams (not one like the Tully clubs). This can drastically effect the amount of public fishing for a given region or area.

I hear the SRC gives back and saw on their website they have worked with disabled people to enrich their lives. While I think this is great, I read that and went and........After all the negatives the SRC makes, they sure could cancel them out by doing much more for public fishing than this. Where is the partnering with TU's, Coldwater Hert, Growing Greener or anything to help streams throughout the state? Seems they are only worried about their waters. I would being willing to bet multiple club members of the Tully watershed clubs work on other streams than their own. While this might be true for the SRC, the SRC itself is a "large scale" fishing club. They charge a ton of money and I dont believe the Beav when he says, "there is no profit." The SRC is so large they could have leverage and and monies to do a ton of good for public fishing unlike the small clubs. They JUST DONT.

The SRC buys streams in the erie watershed that contain fish you paid for. The other clubs buy their fish.

The reason people think these people are not great fly-fisherman is because fly-fisherman often become stewards of the streams the frequent and even ones they do not. They often take a hard angle against anything that threatens public access, pollution of streams (private or public), wild trout issues (including stocking over them), blah blah blah. All the things the SRC has proven time and time again we are on our own on. Where is the help? Where is the support from this club? They are doing NOTHING to preserve public fishing opportunities and fly fishing as a sport in general. All they are doing is taking money and water. So their members act the opposite as they should.

The main thing I disagree with what you said in you above quote is this: "Neither of those conclusions are warranted, but they are commonly made and likely erroneous" I disagree with every fiber of my being. The SRC is considered taboo in the fishing ranks and world by they general public. Perhaps if that trend continues they could die off. Sure that rich doctor can talk to his buddies about all the big fish he caught on the club water, but I bet he wont mention it anywhere else. Imagine having idle conversation at the fly shop and mentioning the SRC and your a member. You might feel very uncomfortable, leave and never comeback. If anyone of the SRC members truly love this sport and want to expand their knowledge through the social aspects of this sport......they will quit. So erroneous? Maybe so but maybe not. Warranted? YES.

The hate people have spawn mostly from the SRC and not all private fishing clubs. Some have their place. IMO there is no place for the SRC. Except for maybe Patagonia or Russia. These people are rich enough to afford the membership dues to the SRC, they can buy a plane ticket and go somewhere absolutely spectacular and make it worth the monies. These are places the general public will never be able to get to go to anyways. 100,000 dollars to fish PA? They have to be stupid and know little about fishing. Period.